"There aren't many players that have won more TV titles than me!" - James Wade doesn't believe he gets the respect he deserves

For the eighth time in his career, James Wade made it through the first hurdle at the World Grand Prix on Tuesday night in Leicester. The two-time tournament winner defeated Peter Wright 2-1 in the opening round.

The first set could have already gone to Wade. The Machine led 2-1, but missed a dart in both the fourth and fifth legs for the set. That set then went 3-2 to Wright. Wade though, put things in order by winning the second set 3-1. In the deciding set Wade immediately broke throw and doubled his lead with a 19-darter. After Wright missed nine doubles to stay in the match, Wade finished it off on his old faithful double 10.

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“I’m genuinely enjoying the game again,” reflected Wade in his post-match press conference afterwards. “I am very happy to get through there. I felt it shouldn’t have gone to a third set, but fair play to Peter, he’s one of the greatest dart players that has ever walked the planet.”

Wade wasn't completely happy when speaking to the media afterwards though. The 41-year-old Englishman also felt the need to press home the point that he's not quite done with top level darts just yet.

"I couldn't give a flying hoot about anyone or whoever I'm playing so yeah, I think everyone forgets that for the last 20 years, I've done alright in TV tournaments. I've won this two times, so it's not a shock horror that I'm doing alright," he insists, also noting how some considerable less successful players than him are taking the headlines instead. "I think there's a lot of smoke blown up a lot of other dart players backsides that aren't that great, that haven't won a TV tournament but they're egged on to be favourites above me. That's not necessarily a negative, but there aren't many players that have won more TV titles than me!"

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Wade has 11 major titles in the PDC